Sebring: Series Thursday night practice report

PEUGEOT LIGHTS OUT IN SEBRING DARKNESS
The flip-flop at the top of the timing charts for the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve
Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida continued with Peugeot
asserting itself in night practice for...

PEUGEOT LIGHTS OUT IN SEBRING DARKNESS

The flip-flop at the top of the timing charts for the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve
Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida continued with Peugeot
asserting itself in night practice for the season-opening race for the
American Le Mans Series. Stephane Sarrazin posted a lap of 1:45.584
(126.155 mph) in the diesel-powered Peugeot 908 as teams got their first
chance of the year to see Sebring International Raceway in the dark.

Sarrazin will team with Nic Minassian and Pedro Lamy as the Peugeot races
for the first time in North America on Saturday. Sarrazin's time was 0.859
seconds better than the lead Audi R10 TDI of Tom Kristensen, who will drive
with defending Series P1 champions Allan McNish and Dindo Capello.

The order is the opposite of how the front row of the grid will look for
the start of Saturday's race. The Audi will start on the inside with the
Peugeot on the outside.

The sister Audi of Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner was third
overall and in LMP1 at 1:46.719 (124.814 mph).

A year after it won LMP2 in its Series debut, Andretti Green Racing went
quickest in class. Marco Andretti toured the circuit in 1:47.902 (123.445
mph) for a 0.156-second margin over Penske Racing's Porsche RS Spyder of
Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Emmanuel Collard.

Andretti, racing for the first time in the event that grandfather Mario won
three times, will drive with Bryan Herta and Christian Fittipaldi. Dyson
Racing's Porsche RS Spyder of Marino Franchitti, Butch Leitzinger and Andy
Wallace was third in P2 at 1:48.298 (122.994 mph).

Johnny O'Connell went fastest for Corvette Racing in the No. 3 Corvette
C6.R. The six-time Sebring class winner turned in a time of 1:57.954
(112.925 mph) as he prepares to make his record-setting 18th consecutive
start at Sebring.

He was 0.568 seconds ahead of the sister Corvette of Oliver Gavin, Olivier
Beretta and Max Papis. The trio won in class at Sebring last year.
O'Connell will drive with Ron Fellows and Jan Magnussen.

Bell Motorsports was third in class with a 2:00.624 (110.362 mph) in its
Aston Martin DBR9 of Terry Borcheller, Chapman Ducote and Antonio Garcia.

The battle between Porsche and Ferrari continued to rage as Jorg
Bergmeister put Flying Lizard Motorsports' No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR at
the head of GT2. The German posted a time of 2:02.449 (108.780 mph) in the
entry he will share with Wolf Henzler and Marc Lieb. Bergmeister was 0.280
seconds ahead of the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT of Jaime
Melo, Mika Salo and Gianmaria Bruni.

The two teams fought to the end last year with Risi taking a 0.202-second
GT2 win in the closest finish in race history.